In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘PACIFIC SWEET’.
The present variety was planted in 1998 as an open pollinated seed of an unnamed white flesh nectarine (unpatented) tree, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). This unnamed seed parent was a first generation gross of ‘Spring Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,507) nectarine by another unnamed white flesh nectarine (unpatented). Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed grandparent, ‘Spring Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,507) nectarine, by producing nectarines that are very firm in texture, yellow in flesh color, and full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom and by being larger in size, sub-acidic instead of acidic in flavor, and maturing about five days later.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Ruby Sweet’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,963) nectarine, by producing nectarines that are very firm in texture, yellow in flesh color, full red in skin color, and sub-acidic in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by requiring less chilling hours and by producing fruit that is much larger in size.